Logon intermittently bypasses Windows Hello Fingerprint

As it's now been almost a week since I re-ran your Step 4, this time making sure to "run as Administrator", I am letting you know that it fixed the intermittent issue with the computer bypassing the Windows Hello Start Screen and going straight to the desktop, or at least for six days it did.

I believe there is an issue involving Fast Startup. Prior to six days ago, I had been using Fast Startup until I read that it can add to your problems, especially when making changes to the system (like an update, or changing a driver). As all the previous 'fixes' I had tried were done while using Fast Startup, before I re-ran your Step 4, I turned off Fast Startup, and did a Restart. I also uninstalled and reinstalled the Fingerprint driver, as I had done it earlier when I was using Fast Startup. Another Restart.

The Fingerprint sign on then worked for six days, so I decided to turn Fast Startup back on today. And the problem came back! Fingerprint sign on only worked for two sign ons, then on the third it became intermittent, again, and bypassed the Windows Hello Fingerprint Start Screen and went straight to the desktop. I have turned off Fast Startup again, and will keep it off, especially if by doing so keeps Windows Hello Fingerprint working. I can only hope it lasts.

While Windows Hello Fingerprint sign did work for those six day, it's seems there is still something a bit abnormal about it. With multiple daily sign ons over the six days, while the Start Screen showed the Fingerprint icon every time, 99% of the time it also showed a message below the icon stating my 'Fingerprint cannot be recognized; try another finger'. This is BEFORE I even scan my print for the first time. I can then scan my finger and complete sign on. Is it normal to get such a message before you even scan your finger? (1% of the time I just get the Fingerprint icon and no message underneath.)

If you have anything more for me to try, let me know. Otherwise, it is what it is and I'll just live with it.

Thanks for your assistance,
Jan

I saw this posting (link below) and decided to do a test. Is it possible that pressing the power button also has BIOS/UEFI also read the fingerprint and that's why it's logging in "automatically?"

https://www.reddit.com/r/thinkpad/comments/yxtjcv/thinkpad_t14s_gen_3_automatically_logon_on/?rdt=49089

So I tried a test. I booted up from power off by pressing the power button with my knuckle - i.e., definitely not my fingerprint. The laptop booted from off, but would not login. I powered the laptop off and repeated the process a few times. Every time I powered on with my knuckle, the laptop would not auto-login. When I did use my real fingerprint - it did login. I only tested a few times, but, could this be the solution? Anyone else want to test and let us know?

Hello Jan,

Good to see you in Microsoft Community.

Firstly, could you let me know the specific system version? You can check it by pressing the Win key + R key, and typing "winver", then press Enter, please take a screenshot/photo of it, and only send the relevant information without PII in the next reply.

Then you may follow the steps below:

1. Disable and re-enable the fingerprint scanner

1. Select the search box on the taskbar and type Device Manager and select it in the search results.
2. In Device Manager, expand Biometric devices, right-click your fingerprint scanner, and select Disable device.
3. Right-click the scanner again and select Enable device.

2. Check power management settings

1. In Device Manager, expand Biometric devices, right-click your fingerprint scanner, and select Properties.
2. Select the Power Management tab, and uncheck the box, Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power.
3. Then in Device Manager, expand Universal Serial Bus controllers, right-click USB Root Hub and select Properties.
4. Select the Power Management tab, and uncheck the box, Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power.

3. Restart services

1. Select the search box on the taskbar and type Services and select Services in the search results.
2. Locate and right-click Credential Manager within the list of services and select Restart.
3. Then locate and right-click Windows Biometric Service within the list of services and select Restart.

4. Reset Windows Hello

• This will completely reset all Windows Hello configurations, before making sure your account password login is normal. Please run Command Prompt as an administrator ("Win" logo key + "Q", enter "cmd", select "Run as administrator"), and enter the following commands one by one.

    net stop WbioSrvc
  
  
  
    cd C:\Windows\System32\WinBioDatabase
  
  
  
    ren *.DAT *.DAT.BAK
  
  
  
    net start WbioSrvc
  

Additionally, please check if there is any available optional driver update in Windows Settings. Win + I to open Windows Settings > Windows Update > Advanced Options > View optional updates > driver updates (if there is available).

If anything is unclear, please do not hesitate to let me know.

Best Regards,

Mosken_L - MSFT | Microsoft Community Support Specialist

Hi Mosken,

Even I have the same issue of directly logging in without any fingerprint verification.

I tried all the above steps you mentioned, but its not working for me.

I suggest you to find any other solution to overcome this as soon as possible.

thank you.

Mosken,

Does your last message, the visual portion on the Command Prompt, mean that you think I need to complete step 4 of your original instructions again? And, only step 4?

As to the second part of your last message re: BIOS firmware: Thank you, but I respectfully have to decline your suggestion concerning the BIOS. Mucking around with the BIOS is way out of my comfort zone, especially without detailed instructions on what I am doing. I would be at a loss at what to do, or where to turn, if something happened and my brand new, expensive laptop became inoperable.

If you believe that my first run at Step 4 might not have been successful due to the fact I may not have run it as Administrator, given the responses I received, even though when I completed the step the the cmp prompt did say "The Windows Biometric Service service was started successfully", then I will run that step again, when you confirm that is your intention by sending the visual.

Otherwise at this point, given the fact this is an intermittent problem and not one of Windows Hello simply not working (or having stopped working completely) along with ALL the time I have spent on various 'fixes' that don't fix the problem, I think I just need to resign myself to not being able to use the Windows Hello Fingerprint Biometrics. And disable it. Maybe at some point in the future someone will read this post that has experienced the same issue and/or has the solution to this problem.

Again, let me know if I need to 'redo' step 4. Thank you for your time,Jan